Key ring and identification tag



May 8, 1928. 1,668,833

. R. H. THAYER KEY RING AND IDENTIFICATION TAG Filed'June 27. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR REUEL H-THHYER I "In 1 BY 9,7 9 5 ATTOR NEY6 KEY RING AND IDENTIFICATION TAG Filed June 27. 1925 Z SI'IGGIS- Sheet 2 l INVENTOR 43 41 I REUEL. H. THHY R 43/ S Z ATTORNEX Patented May 8, 1928.

UNITED STATES:

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Assztenon rovmamn mm column TI; SALE" FRANCESCO? QALIFQRNIA, A CO'RPOEATION 0F CALIIIOBHIA.

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Application med um 27, 192:. 'Serial no. 30.922;

This invention. relates to identification means for keys and improvements in key rm s.

V ne object of the invention is to provide an identification tagwhich may be permanently locked toa key so that it may be easily and" quickly distinguished from other keys in the same bunch or ring.

- Another object of the invention is to pro- 19 vide an izdentification tag for a key adapted to be permanently inserted between the key and the key ring, so as to aflord' a ready means for identifying keys of the same general shape on the ring;

Another object of the in'ventionls to provide arr-identification tag which may readily be attached to a key or other object but which whenonce attached islocked permanently thereto.

Another object of the invention is to )10- vide an improved type of key ring rom which the keys may be easily and "readily removed when desired, but will be held against accidental removal,

Another object of the invention is to rovide a means. to permanently identif? a. number of keys, and releasably hold them together in a htmch so, that any key maybe removed but not without its identifylng means. y

Other objects advantages' of the' invention will appearas the description progrosses.

Referring now to the drawings which 11- lustrate a preferred form of embodnnent of my invention. v i

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of an identification tag, which can be dpermanently fastened to any type of key an any type of key ring I 1 Fig; 2 is a front elevational view of one of the discs forming the identification tag shown inFig. 1.

Fig. 3is a side sectional viewof the identification tag shown in Fig. ltaken on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a perspective View of the identification tag shown in Fig. 1 showing the key holder in position to be inserted therein.

F 5 is a front elevational view ofa modified form. of embodiment of the identification tag. a

Fig. 6 is a front elevational view of the in 5. r l

discs are fastened together. attached to l-argr of the two sections of the tag shown i Fig. 7 is a rear View of the smaller section r the ring shown in Fig. 9.

Fig. 131 1s a sectional elevation taken on the line 1313 of Fig. 9, and

Fig. 14 is an enlarged plan view of one of the identification tags shown in Fig. 9.

The preferred embodiment of the identification taglO (Fig. 4), is com osed of two discs 11 and 12 of substantially the same size and adapted to be permanently secured to each other. The discs 11 and 12 have a half groove or slot 14 extending from their edge to a point near the center thereof, the groove beingof suflicient width and depth to accommodate the flattened ends 15 of the key holder 16; A catch lug 17, (Fig. .2) considerably less in width than the width the slot and approximately a right angle triangleuin outline. is disposed at approximately the center of the slot 14; in one of the discs with its sloping side 18 aointing towardthe opening of theslot at the edge of the disc) y The other disc 12 has a depression 19 on 1 its inner face at a point directly opposite the catch lug 17 on thedisc 11 when the The disc 12. is of slightly larger diameter than-thedisc 11. and. is provided with a projection 13aroi1nd one edge thereof into which the disc 11 is received with a tight frictional fit. To secure the two discs permanently together. the disc 11.,is driven or swaged inthe projection 13 ofthe disc 12.

then pressed together and pushed into the slot 14 formed in the discs 11 and 12. As the ends 15 of the ring l6'are forced into the slot 14 they slide over the sloping side 18 ot the catch lug 17 and are forced toward the disc 12 and into the depression 19 in thc disc 12. hen the registering holes 15 in the ends 15 of the ring come opposite the lug 17, the ends 15 spring or snap over the lug and lie wholly within the slot 14. the catch lug 1.7 passing through'the holes 15* and securely retaining the holder 16 against withdrawal. The identification tag is then looked to the key and cannot be removed from the same. 1

Any desired characters or color may be applied to the center portion 21 of the tag to-facilitate identification of the particular key or a color 10 (Fig. 9) may be applied to the annular portion in the discs for ornamentation and identification.

In Figs. 5. 6, 7 and 8 another embodiment of the identification tag is shown. In this embodiment a disc 25has a hole 26 through its center and a slot 27 completely across one face 28. adapted to snugly receive the ends 29 of the cover plate 30. A second slot 31 in the center of the slot 27 and at one side only of the disc and deeper and narrower than the slot 27 is adapted to receive the ends 32 of the holder 33. Two catch lugs 34 at the sides of the slot co-operate with notches 32 to lock the holder to the tag similarly to the manner already described.

A depression 35 on the inner face of one end 29 of the cover plate receives the ends 32 of the ring 33 when they are pushed past the catch lugs 34.

A central boss 36 on the cover plate fits tightly in the hole 26 of the disc 28 to hold the two parts of the tag together with the ends in the slots 27. The face 37 of the boss 36 lies in the same plane with the rim 38 of the disc-'28 when the cover plate is in position and the face 39 of the cover plate 30 lies in the same plane with the rim 40.

A hole 41 through both the disc 28 and the cover plate 30 on the side opposite the catch lugs 34 and the depression provides a means to attach the tag to a key ring or chain.

' The tacos 39 and 37 may be provided with identification symbols and it desired color 'inay be applied to the, depressions on each side between the outer rim and the faces 37 and '39 of the cover plate 30.

edge of the tag to allow oneof-the connecting links 42" to be locked between the discs forming the tag with one of the balls in the hole 23, when discs are fastcnedtogether.

A number of keys with permanently attached identification tags may be carried together by means of: the key ring, 44- illustrated in Fig. 9. This keyring comprises a lower disc 45 (Fig. 10) with a plurality of hemispherical depressions 46 a little larger than the halls of the chains 42 disposed around the edge thereof each depression having a slot 47 large enough to allow the balls of the chain 42 to slip into it and deep enough so that the terminal balls 48 of the chain 42 may be centered infthe spherical depression 46. -A'terminal ball 48 of larger diameter than the other balls of the chain, is attached to the upper end of each chain 42, and is ofthe same diam eter as the depression 46 in the disc 45 and adapted to be seated therein with the chain 42 suspended through the slot 47 as clearly shown in Fig. 13. r

A retaining disc 49 is rotatably attached to the disc 45 by a rivet 50 passing through the center of both discs. A circular groove 51 of semicircular cross section is disposed on the lower face of the retaining disc 49 and when the two discs are attached together in the manner indicated the groove '51 is directly above the hemispherical depressions 46 so that a ball 48 seated in one of the depressions 46 extends up into the groove 51 and the disc 49 is free to rotate with respect to the other disc 45. the ball 48 remaining in the seat 46and slipping in the groove 51. A hole 52'through the disc 49 opens, directly into the groove 51 and provides a means whereby any ball 48 may vbe raised up from its seat when the hole 52 is in registry therewith. A slot 53 of the same width as the slot 47 in the disc 45 opens into the hole 52 and provides a means of removing the chain from the discs when the slots in the upper and lower discs are aligned (Fig. 9).

A key 56. may he 'permanentlv attached to the identification tag 10 in the manner already described and the chain 42 then attached to. the key holder 44 by turning the discs 45 and 49 with respect to each other until the slot 53 has been aligned with one of the slots 47 at which time the chain 42 may he slipped into the slots and the ball 48 seated in the correspondingseat 46. The discs may then be turned again so that the slots 53 and 47 are out of alignment when it will be found impossible to remove the ball 48 as the top of the groove 51 holds it against the seat 46. A locking lug 54 may be pivoted to one of the discs 45 or 49 to cooperate with a slot 55 in the other disc to lock the discs in closed position and prevent relative rotation of the discs and accidental displacement of any of the chains 42.;

- 1,aes,sss

Any number of chains with keys attached may be fastened in this manner to the key holderv depending on the number of seats which can be fitted around the circumference of the disc.

\Vhile the key ring shown in Fig. 9 has been described as having permanently at tached identification tags 10 .it will be understood that the keys may be secured to the chains 42 in any desired manner.

It will be understood that other modifications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the appended claims and while I have shown my identification tag as particularly applicable to keys it may also be used in connection with suit cases, trunks or any other object upon which it is desirable to have identifying means.

I claim:

1. In an identification tag, two disc shaped body members attache-d together, said body members having a slot on their inner faces,

a catch lug in said slot, an attaching loop having substantially parallel end portions each having a hole near the end thereof, means to retain said catch lug with the holes in said end portions to permanently attach said loop between said body members.

2. In an identification tag, two flat body members attached together, said members having a slot in the inner faces thereof, and one of said bodymembers adapted to be covered by said other body member, an attaching loop and means to permanently hold the ends of said loop against withdlrawal when said ends are pushed into said s 0t.

3. In an identification tag, a flat disc, having a slotin one face extending from the edge to the point near the center thereof, a catch lug in said slot, an attaching loop having elongated flattened substantially parallel ends, said ends thereof, having a hole in each near the end thereof, a second disc cation means applied to the outer surfaces of said discs.

4:. An identification tag comprising a flat body member adapted to carry an identification symbol thereon, a second member secured to said first member and forming a slot therebetween, a catch lug extending from one of said members into said slot and a loop secured to said body members, having a flattened end with a hole therein engaging said catch lug.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature to this specification. V REUEL H. THAYER. 

